JP 2002-54320A proposes an imaging apparatus as a parking assisting apparatus, which assists visual recognition of a driver at the time of parking or at the time of turning to the right or left by imaging the external circumstances surrounding the vehicle by using imaging cameras. According to this apparatus, the surface of the ceiling of a garage is provided with an imaging camera for imaging the back of the garage and another imaging camera for imaging the entrance/exit of the garage. The images taken by the imaging cameras are transmitted to a display unit mounted in a vehicle through a communication unit. Either one of the images is displayed on the display unit depending upon the shift position of the transmission of the vehicle.
Further, JP 2003-50130A proposes another imaging apparatus, which is not for parking assisting or driving assisting. According to this imaging apparatus, a position where the imaging is scheduled is pre-stored in a memory, and an imaging camera is turned to a certain direction to image the surrounding scenery when the vehicle arrives near the scheduled position. The imaged scenery is stored in an image memory, so that it is displayed on a display unit when the vehicle moves to a safe place.
The parking assisting apparatus in JP 2002-54320A operates only when the vehicle enter the garage or leaves the garage, and cannot be used for making sure the safety when traveling on a public road.
The imaging apparatus in JP 2003-50130A, too, is not capable of automatically determining a direction in which the driver wishes to make sure the safety in traveling on a public road, or of imaging the above direction or of displaying the above direction on a display unit.
For example, at an intersection where the visibility is poor such as in a residential area where many of the roads are one-way traffic roads, a direction in which the driver wishes to make sure the safety may differ depending upon from which direction the vehicle is entering the intersection. In this case, the above imaging apparatuses are not capable of determining the direction in which the driver wishes to see, or of imaging the direction or of displaying the imaged direction.
Further, in a particular situation where the vehicle travels onto a public road leaving the garage reverse, the above apparatuses are not capable of directing the imaging camera to the direction in which the driver is paying attention by determining the above situation to display the image on the display unit.